1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sewing pattern supply system, and more particularly to a sewing pattern supply system employing a technique for determining whether a sewing pattern ordered on the basis of sewing machine type information in a server is incorporated in the sewing machine side and transmitting a result of determination to the sewing machine side.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronically controlled sewing machines which perform embroidering have conventionally been capable of sewing various types of embroidery patterns. Various types of sewing patterns for embroidery sewing have been classified into types of characters, flowers, figures, shapes, etc. A control unit of the aforesaid electronically controlled sewing machine (or a sewing machine side computer connected to the control unit) is provided with a ROM incorporating pattern data of a part of types of sewing patterns. Types of the incorporated sewing patterns differ from one type of sewing machine to another. Higher grades of sewing machines incorporate a larger number of types of sewing patterns. A plurality of ROM cards or CD-ROM's on which pattern data of various sewing patterns are recorded have commercially been available conventionally. Users purchase ROM cards or CD-ROM's on which pattern data of desired sewing patterns are recorded.
Recently, a sewing machine side microcomputer connected to a control unit of an electronically controlled sewing machine is further connected via a commercial communication network such as the Internet to a server. A technique has actually been practiced in which a server, accepting an order from the computer, transmits pattern data of sewing patterns storing a multitude of pattern data of sewing patterns classified into groups of patterns. In this case, pattern display data of sewing patterns is transmitted from the server to the computer, so that a plurality of sewing patterns are displayed on a display of the computer. When a desired one or more sewing patters are selected while a plurality of sewing patterns are on display, the pattern data of the selected one or more sewing patterns (sewing pattern data) is transmitted from the server to the computer. Fee for the purchased pattern data is charged to a bank account of the user.
Type data indicative of types of sewing machines and identification data specifying sewing machines are not stored in the control units of the conventional sewing machines or sewing machine side computers in such a manner that the data are externally transmitted. Accordingly, since the data cannot automatically be transmitted to the server, the data cannot be utilized in the server.
When pattern data of sewing patterns are sold to the control units of the conventional sewing machines or sewing machine side computers as described above, type information indicative of the type of sewing machine cannot automatically be supplied to the server. Accordingly, the server supplies the user the ordered pattern data of sewing pattern irrespective of the type of the sewing machine of the order user. In other words, the server supplies the user the ordered pattern data of sewing pattern without determining whether the ordered sewing pattern is one possessed by the user (incorporated sewing pattern). As a result, there is a problem that even when the user has erroneously ordered an incorporated sewing pattern, he or she is charged for the pattern data of sewing pattern.
On one hand, when one or a plurality of characters and a decorative frame pattern are embroidered on an emblem (Wappen in Germany), embroidering is carried out after positional relations between the character patterns and the frame pattern and a rotating attitude are set, processing is carried out for setting a size of pattern to be sewn (usually referred to as pattern edit processing), and pattern data for sewing an edited pattern. Since the pattern edit processing is not carried out in the server in the conventional system, there is a problem that the pattern edit processing cannot be executed unless the pattern data of sewing pattern is purchased from the server.
On the other hand, the conventional server does not store information about sewing patterns the individual users have purchased other than information identifying the sewing machines or the users. Accordingly, there is a problem that the user is charged for the sewing pattern the user previously purchased in the same way as a newly purchased one.
Therefore, it is impossible to confirm a sewing condition obtained by editing a pattern formed by combining a plurality of sewing patterns before purchase of patterns or at the time of purchase of patterns. However, a fault may occur that a purchased sewing pattern, when edited, does not fit with a sewing area. Consequently, there is a problem that pattern data of sewing patterns is purchased in vain. Furthermore, the conventional server does not store information indicative of sewing areas of sewing machines classified in the types of sewing machines. Accordingly, even if pattern edit processing should be executed in the server, the pattern edit processing could not be carried out in relation to the sewing area of each sewing machine.